Three Stooges Collection 1934 - 1936

All knuckleheads, mooks, wise guys and various victims of "soicumstance” will be happy to hear that a new Three Stooges box set is now available. This two-disc chronological collection covers the first three years of the fellas’ careers, starting with their rarely seen very first rhyming short, "Woman Haters.” While "Woman Haters” doesn’t really fit into the style that’s associated with the Stooges, it’s interesting to watch the burgeoning stars find their feet. With their second short, and arguably one of their most famous, "Punch Drunks,” the boys are in fighting trim, slapping, pinching and kicking their way into Curly’s boxing career. The Stooges continue to brawl their way through 17 more episodes of classic comedy mayhem, developing into one of the most recognisable comedic teams in the history of film. After almost 75 years, Moe, Larry and Curly’s slapstick antics are still as funny as when they first appeared on the silver screen. The simple, timeless and mindlessly violent humour of the three misfits is still funny in the way that only purely physical comedy can be. There are no special features on these discs, which is somewhat disappointing. While the Stooges and their contemporaries have all passed away, it would have been interesting to see a documentary on the team, or hear some commentary from modern comedians discussing the influence these guys have had. This set would make a great gift for fans and anyone you know with an adolescent sense of humour (FYI: a vast majority of men have an adolescent sense of humour). And despite the lack of special features, the 19 shorts do make a great starting point for Stooges appreciation. And best of all, no Shemp!